As the Golden State Warriors prepare for the second night of a back-to-back against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, the franchise's newest team has taken its biggest step to building a roster for their inaugural season.
The expansion draft took place for the Golden State Valkyries on Friday afternoon, with the WNBA's newest team adding 11 players to begin their roster ahead of their first game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Chase Center on May 16.
Led by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, the Warriors ushered in a new era of 3-point shooting just over a decade ago. Today it's arguably the biggest part of the game, with six NBA teams currently taking at least 40 3-point attempts so far this season.
Forming an on-court identity will be key for the Valkyries in their hopes of making the playoffs in their inaugural season. In terms of playstyle, it sounds like head coach Natalie Nakase might take some pointers from Steve Kerr as the Valkyries look to replicate the kind of success the Warriors have had over the past decade.
"We're going to play fast-paced and obviously we're going to shoot some threes," Nakase told ESPN's Chiney Ogwumike on Friday.
"We're gonna shoot some threes, that's what we're gonna do." 😅 @chiney with Golden State Valkyries HC Natalie Nakase on how she's planning to coach her new team 🔥 pic.twitter.com/tupEG17Xxy
— espnW (@espnW) December 7, 2024
The Valkyries drafted in a manner that could bring Nakase's "we're going to shoot some threes" mantra to life. According to Stephanie Kaloi's projected starting lineup and depth chart on the Valkyries Blog, Golden State will open with at least three notable 3-point shooters.
The Valkyries' starting back court currently appears to be Julie Vanloo and Kate Martin, both of who are capable of being high volume 3-point shooters. In her first WNBA season with the Washington Mystics, the 31-year-old Vanloo ranked 14th in the league in 3-point attempts at 5.6 per game.
After a stellar college career at Iowa, Martin saw just 11.5 minutes per game in her rookie year with the Las Vegas Aces. The 24-year-old averaged 2.9 and 3.5 3-point attempts in her final two years at Iowa, shooting an efficient 41.4% and 37% respectively.
Golden State also drafted nine-year WNBA veteran Kayla Thornton who is now the team's projected starting small forward. The 32-year-old averages 2.6 3-point attempts per game for her career, including shooting 35.7% on 3.2 attempts per game with the New York Liberty last season.
Whether the emphasis on 3-point shooting can lead to the same success remains to be seen, but Warrior fans can look forward to seeing a similar style when the Valkyries hit the floor in just over five months time.